Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Housewares manufacturer What More UK has welcomed two new apprentices on a three-year engineering training programme.
Teenagers Izaak Holden and William Moat joined the Lancashire-based business at the end of August. Through training provider Themis’ centre at Burnley College they have begun studying on a NVQ Level 2 Engineering programme.
For the first year of their apprenticeship, Izaak and William will study full time at Themis’ centre at Burnley College, What More UK’s apprentice partner. They will get on-the-job experience at What More’s manufacturing facility in Altham periodically throughout the year, including working there during the college holidays.
Kelly Torson, human resources manager at What More UK, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Izaak and William into the business as What More’s first apprentices for a number of years.
“They are both very keen young men who spent a good couple of weeks in our manufacturing facility getting to know our business before their college course began. During their first year, they will follow a broad pathway into engineering, choosing a specialism for the second and third years of their apprenticeship. The Engineering NVQ is a flexible training programme that allows apprentices to choose a pathway that both plays to their strengths and suits the needs of the business they are working in. It’s a great way to begin a career in engineering.”
16 year old Izaak Holden from Blackburn has joined What More UK straight from school. He said: “I thought that an apprenticeship would be a really good way to progress as an engineer, instead of enrolling on a full-time course. It will give me more experience with different machines.”
William Moat, aged 17 from Burnley, spent a year studying before choosing to follow an engineering apprenticeship. He said: “I’ve always liked engineering since high school so I did my first year in Burnley College doing engineering and was then offered this opportunity. It’s going great. I recently used a lathe for the first time and really enjoyed it.”
What More UK director Tony Grimshaw added: “As a business we’re happy to support apprentice programmes. After all, the engineering apprentices of today are our production directors of the future.”
What More UK manufactures more than 900 product lines from their purpose-built 500,000sq ft facility in Altham, where Izaak and William will serve their apprenticeships. The company is a leading manufacturer and distributor of plastic housewares, gardening and storage products, from storage boxes to plant pots, pet beds, washing up bowls, buckets and bins, sold under the Wham brand. The business also has an extensive range of bakeware, including enamelware and the PushPan range of silicone sealed bakeware. It exports products to 68 countries worldwide.
Themis is one of the largest training providers in Lancashire. Their centre at Burnley College offers a wide range of apprenticeships and business training solutions.
New apprentices receive a visit at Burnley College from their What More UK colleagues: (l-r) setting team manager Lee Smith, apprentices Isaac Holden and William Moat and engineering manager Robert Walker
